Muertos in San Antonino Castillo Velasco

"An ocean of flowers," is how I always describe the panteon or cemetery in San Antonino Castillo Velasco for Muertos.  I think it is one of the most beautiful places to visit and not only now, but at any time, and especially for Semana Santa.  But for Muertos?... It just doesn't get any better.

People are so friendly and happy even though there is a touch of sadness in the background.  I just can't imagine anything this special happening in cemeteries in El Norte.

There is a contest for grave decoration and the work is like many things Oaxaqueno, creative and wonderfully artistic.  San Antonino is known for its flowers and produce.

The work is delicate and meticulous.

And so beautiful...

It's a family affair, often with food and music and kids running around. 

It warms the soul.  As I say, this is how it should be.  People are not afraid or sad because of death.  It's natural. They welcome the spirits back, the ones they remember, respect and carry always in their hearts and thoughts.

Such a wonderful tradition and this year was a particularly beautiful celebration.  Maybe it was all the rain, the flowers just radiated.

It was a blessing to be there as the sun bathed us all in its light.

And there's more to come.... but for now....

Muerteada in San Agustin Etla

As the words say, "La Cuna de la Muerteada," "The Cradle of the Muerteada"" or as I like to say, "The Mother of all Muerteadas."  And I am happy to say, I survived once again this year, as I like to place myself right in the middle of all of the wonderful insanity.

In a nutshell:  There are two groups of dancers, one from Barrio San Jose and the other from San Agustin. Really, they are all friends and neighbors, but for these two days, they hate each other and have a major battle of the bands at the very end of the fourteen hours celebration.  San Jose...

 San Agustin...

 It is quite loud, a wonderful cacophony.

Each group starts the night before and goes from house to house, eating and drinking and dancing to some of the most infectious music imaginable.  Then, the next morning, they meet at the bottom of the hill and just go crazy, kinda one big mosh pit... well, two separate mosh pits, as they are separated by two lines of security, one from each group.  Tubas or bassos lead the assault and musical conversation.  This year there were thirteen tubas playing their collective asses off.  I'm a musician and I don't know how they do it.  I can't imagine playing that long.  At the end, everyone's lips and swollen, red and blue... but so worth it.  Vale la pena!

The dancers wear amazing costumes, the most tradition being one covered with bells and mirrors.

They are so heavy, maybe thirty kilos... and yet they dance for hour upon hour.

There are some other pretty amazing looks, too.

Lots of kids involved, a family fun event.  Even in the craziest part of the mosh pit scene, there are families with babies, little kids.

 And lots of guys dressed up like gals.

It's really hard to describe it, you'll just have to come for yourself... or wait for the video.  Ah yes, the ladies have their own muerteada in a couple of weeks.

Tapetes de arena - Sand Paintings

These beautiful sand paintings, tapetes de arena (carpets of sand) had a short life in the Plaza de la Danza.  I've seen lots of them over the years. They are sometimes huge, often are filled with images associated with Muertos, but this year, they were much smaller and all religious in nature.

I caught them with a brilliant sun overhead the afternoon before they were swept up.  They are full of sparkles.

They are quite beautiful, detailed work and more examples of how so many things here are artistic in nature.

I used a little Photoshop magic to put them in perspective, as they might appear from above.

So much work and yet they were only there for a couple of days, swept away, temporary, as are all things.

Feria de Pan de Muerto - Villa Diaz Ordaz

We did a nice swing through a few markets this past Sunday, the last one before Muertos.  Tlacolula was so crowded, but nonetheless exhilarating with sights and smells. Then it was off to Mitla, above, where some of the finest examples of pan de muerto can be found.  It is an art there, but they no longer have an exhibition of the finest breads. However, there were nice examples in the market.

After Mitla, it was off to Villa Diaz Ordaz where they were having a feria, a fair, del Pan del Muerto.

We were there last year and thought maybe more people would be there this year.   However, it turned out we were most of the crowd.  It was very tranquil and serene scene.  People were selling bread, but most of the action was with the kids who were kneading dough and shaping bread, keeping the traditions going.

This guy is destined to be a baker.

Their energy and exuberance were the best parts of the day.

The bread for El Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is a very important element of the altars and one can find it everywhere in the days leading up to the beginnings of the celebrations.

After seeing all the food in the markets, we were starved so we took advantage of some excellent tamales and the best higaditos I've ever tasted from this woman.

Eggs, chicken and a perfect broth, a simple but elegant traditional dish and unique to the central valleys of Oaxaca.

Higaditos, elsewhere, is a very different dish.  We also got a rare treat, one hardly ever seen for sale, some estafado mole from this excellent cook.  It was so nice to be almost the only people there as folks were so friendly and happy.  However, you see where it is... there's always next year.

Muertos begins... comparsa faces

Oaxaca knows how to celebrate Muertos and so it was last evening as tens of thousands of people participated in the comparsa or parade that starts the annual festivities.  They danced, sang, went crazy or just watched.... and it was a photographer dream.  The makeup and costumes were, once again, just spectacular.  Here are just a few of the many looks....

 Gotta run... off to various festivities... it never stops.

Colibri- Hummingbird

While making morning coffee I looked out the window and saw this tiny hummingbird going from flower to flower, first the lavender and then the basil.  I watched for a while and then, doh, grabbed a camera, shot these through a dirty window and got lucky.

These birds are so small, it's crazy I got even these shots. The basil flowers look big compared to them.... oh, and they move quite quickly... the birds, not the flowers, silly.

It's getting close.... mas muerteadas

Every dog must have its day.  Muertos is right around the corner and the city is crowded with hotel occupancy at about 70%.  Of course, the teachers, moto-taxistas and transportation workers have been blocking the roads and Seccion XXII has taken over the zocalo... oh, and there's been a trash pickup strike, but other than that... it's muerteada time and they are occurring all over the place. This one is in San Agustin Etla for the mother of all muerteadas.

Just down the hill, San Sebastian Etla,

And there is this one in nearby Santiago Etla

It's in the details.....

The Etlas all seem like they are having one and so it only makes sense that there is one in the hub, la Villa de Etla

I plan to try and hit a few of them, but they are too many. They're everywhere....Party on, Garth.